RIM Announces BlackBerry Curve 9220 and 9320

This site may earn affiliate commissions from the links on this page. Terms of use.

No, BlackBerry 10 isn't here yet. The new BlackBerry Curve 9220 and 9320 run BlackBerry 7.1 OS, and are aimed at first-time smartphone users. With a dedicated BBM button, RIM is pushing these Curves to the more social set.

The 9220 and 9320 aren't all that different from the Curve 9370 we reviewed on Verizon back in January. This time around, there's a dedicated BBM key on the left side of the phone. There's also been a change in screen resolution, but aside from that, there isn't much new here.

Each new Curve measures 4.29 by 2.36 by 0.5 inches (HWD). The 9320 weighs 3.63 ounces, which is just a touch heavier than the 9220 at 3.6 ounces. Either way—these phones are light. Both come equipped with 1450 mAh removable batteries that should be good for up to seven hours of talk time and 18 days of standby.

The 2.4-inch, non-touch display features 320-by-240 resolution, which is actually a step down from the 9370's 480-by-360. Luckily, the keyboard looks like it has remained the same. In his review of the 9370, PCMag analyst Jamie Lendino noted, "the four-row QWERTY keyboard is slightly curved and features large, well-separated keys. The keys aren't as raised as before, but the click feel is tuned just right. If you can get your hands around a small device like this one, it's super-easy to type fast."

The Curves are running the BlackBerry 7.1 OS, which supports features such as mobile hotspot and Wi-Fi calling where available. The main difference between the two phones is in the cameras. The 9220 is the lower end of the two devices, with a 2-megapixel without a flash, while the 9320 is equipped with a 3.2-megapixel camera with an LED flash.

There's no word yet on carrier availability, price, or release date. Check back with PCMag for more info as soon as we find out, and full reviews when the phones become available.

Alex Colon is the managing editor of PCMag's consumer electronics team. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in English Writing and Literature from Pace University and got his start editing books before deciding technology would probably be a lot more fun.
Though he does the majority of his reading and writing on various digital displays, Alex still loves to sit down and read a good, old-fashioned, paper and ink book in his free time. (Not that there's anything wrong with ebook readers.)
More »